Rye Muffin with Walnut Streusel

Snack

Ingredients

[A] Streusel

  • 4 tbsp.  unsalted button, diced into pieces
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt

[B] Muffin

  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 cup old fashion rolled oats
  • 1 cup rye flakes
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup pack light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbps extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp. finely grated orange zest (from 2 oranges)
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature, slightly beaten
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. fine seasalt
  • 2  1/4 cups well-shaken low-fat buttermilk

Instructions

Make streusel (at least 1 hour ahead or the night before)

  1. Melt the butter from [A] r in a large skillet over low heat, swirling the pan a few times
  2. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, combine oat, flour sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and salt from [A]  in a bowl
  4. Drizzle  the butter over the streusel ingredients and still till crumbly and moistened. Cover and Chill.
    (Don’t clean the skillet, we will need it again!)

Make muffin batter

  1. Set a plate/baking sheet at the ready next to the stove.
  2. Melt butter from [B] over medium heat in the same skillet.
  3. Add oat and rye flake and cook, stirring frequently till the flakes turn golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Watch closely so not to burn them.
  4. Immediately transfer to the plate/baking sheet and spread to cool, 15 minutes.
  5. Add the flake mixture to a food processor fitted with a steel blade; process until ingredients turned into a fine meal, 40-50 seconds, scraping the side 2-3 times in between.
  6. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse to combine, about 8 one-second pulses.
  7. Transfer the dry ingredients to a medium bowl.
  8. Add sugar, oil and orange zest to a large bowl and combine with a large whisk until no dry spots remain.
  9. Gently whisk in buttermilk and eggs until smooth.
  10. Add flour mixture in 4 additions, and gently whisk to combine, using a folding motion, until no streak of flour remain.
  11. The batter should be thick and pourable.
  12. Cover the bowl with plastic wraps and allow the batter to rest for 1 hour at cool room temperature or chill overnight.

Bake them!

  1. The ingredients above have to be chilled for at least 1 hour.
  2. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F.
  3. Lightly butter the cups and rims of a 12-cup muffin pans (or 6-cup muffin pan), preferably nonstick.
  4. Add the oatmeal-consistency batter into muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full.
  5. Break up chilled streusel with a fork and evenly sprinkle 2 tbsp. of streusel on top of each muffin. Gently press to adhere.
  6. Bake until the muffin turns golden brown with nice dome.
    For batter has rested for 1 hour, bake 18-20 minutes.
    For batter that has rested overnight, bake 23-28 minutes
  7. To test to see if muffin is ready, insert a toothpick to see that it comes out clean.
  8. Let cool for 8 minutes, gently remove each one them from muffin pan.
  9. Serve warm, or allow to cool on a wire rack.